The Air National Guard: An Historical View of the Future
Abstract
The founding of the Air National Guard had its roots in the military's post-WWII drawdown. Several factors forced the Army and subsequently the Air Force to accept a separate state-controlled Air component against their best professional judgment. The 2005 Base Realignment and Closure process the Future Total Force program spiraling acquisition costs for modern weapons systems and the 2005 hurricane Katrina and Rita recovery efforts have combined to call into question the future roles and missions of the Air National Guard. This has cooled a relationship between the Air National Guard and the Air Force that had grown increasingly warm--a relationship that must regain that strength to ensure our Total Air Force air and space forces are presented in a unified efficient manner. In looking at this relationship over time this paper describes the influences surrounding the formation of the Air National Guard. It then examines the issues facing today's Air National Guard comparing and contrasting them with those involved in its origins. This leads to recommendations on how the Air National Guard should help repair the bond between these two organizations in order to honor its motto of Ready Reliable and Relevant' now and well into the future.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 24, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA449624
Entities
People
- Brendan Smith
Organizations
- United States Army War College